20. TALK TO ME

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WHEN I GOT THE TEXT FROM Kaleb two days after Elle went MIA, I was slightly relieved

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WHEN I GOT THE TEXT FROM Kaleb two days after Elle went MIA, I was slightly relieved.

I was relieved because the text had confirmed that Elle wasn't purposely avoiding me.

But what her reason was instead was way worse.

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"Where is she?" I asked Kaleb as soon as he snuck me through the back door.

"In her room. Just be careful okay? Don't push her" He nodded at me. I ran up the stairs and towards Elle's room. I opened her door and almost couldn't see her in her sea of stuffed animals and blankets. But she couldn't sleep without one in particular. Her stuffed shark, Jaws. I shut the door behind me and she still didn't make any effort to look over at who it was. Bear's head shot up to look at me from the end of her bed and whined, looking at me and then Elle.

I know buddy, I'm gonna try.

I walked over to her and could see her clutching Jaws tightly. Her eyes were red and puffy and there were plates of food on her bedside table, untouched. My sweet Elle.

"Elle" No response. I sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Elle, baby. I'm here. I'm here Sunshine" She kept looking off into the wall of her room.

I brushed my fingers over her pale cheeks and tucked her loose hairs behind her ear.

"Please talk to me, baby" I whispered.

"If I talk about it then that makes it real. If I move, that means it happened. If I so much as look at someone, I'll cry" Her rough voice spoke finally and I cracked a smile at her.

"You can cry baby. I'm here. I'll always be here. Just let it out" I told her moving to lay down on her bed and she moved to my chest and started sobbing. My heart broke to hear her cries but I knew she needed to let it out. Her tiny hands gripped onto my shirt as she cried into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her as her cries turned to sniffles.

"He came back Nick"

"Who Elle?" I asked.

"My dad. He showed up last night at the door. And acted like nothing happened. He was so happy to see Finn acting he didn't abandon him as a baby. Poor Finny didn't even recognise him. I punched him in the face too. Look" she held up her bruised fist and I kissed it.

"You are so brave. My brave girl. He is a coward to leave behind you and your family. He doesn't deserve your tears. Don't cry over him baby" I soothingly whispered to her.

"It's just after a very long time, everything was going perfect for me. And then just when I thought everything could be normal again, he shows up out of the blue after 6 years. It's just not fair" She sniffles into shoulder.

"I know Sunshine" I whispered. "How bout for now we get you something to eat okay? I can't let my baby go hungry"



 "How bout for now we get you something to eat okay? I can't let my baby go hungry"

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